The gift-giving has ended as we head into the new year, but many of us still need to pick up a few things. For example, if you happen to be a new owner of the Galaxy S III or Galaxy Note II, you probably need a few extra NFC-powered TecTiles and perhaps a brand new flip cover. Samsung has announced that it will give away free six TecTiles and a flip cover for every customer that registers their Galaxy S III or Galaxy Note II to Samsung's Owner's Hub on Facebook. That means that you'll be giving Samsung some personal info, like access to your Facebook Timeline, in exchange for the swag.

The gift-giving has ended as we head into the new year, but many of us still need to pick up a few things. For example, if you happen to be a new owner of the Galaxy S III or Galaxy Note II, you probably need a few extra NFC-powered TecTiles and perhaps a brand new flip cover.

Samsung has announced it will give away six free TecTiles and a flip cover for every customer that registers their Galaxy S III or Galaxy Note II to Samsung’s Owner’s Hub on Facebook. That means that you’ll be giving Samsung some personal info, like access to your Facebook Timeline, in exchange for the swag.

A cover is always important, so if you don’t have one already this is a good way to check that off your list. But the real value is in the TecTiles, in my humble opinion.

TecTiles allow you to leverage the power of your NFC-equipped phone. Samsung has made great strides in the NFC department, equipping many of its major phones with an NFC chip. This lets users share photos and other content by simply tapping their phones, as long as both have NFC. They’ve shown this magic in multiple commercials recently.

But if you want to enjoy the seamless wonder of NFC by your lonesome, TecTiles are the way to go. They let you program certain commands to each specific tag, such as a Facebook check-in, changing your settings to enable Wi-Fi, or turning on your ringer. So each time you tap your phone against a specific tag, it initiates that already-programmed action, automating your phone.

Normally TecTiles cost $15 for a pack of five, so this is a great deal, as long as you’re willing to give Samsung a little extra access to your Facebook.